


Time Will Tell

by miss_aligned



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mass Effect 3, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 13:59:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6857854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_aligned/pseuds/miss_aligned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just when the Commander appears to be falling apart, she gets a little reminder from friends as to why she should continue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time Will Tell

Shepard leaned heavily on the railing. She felt as though her mind was being ripped apart from the inside and she couldn’t seem to focus. Her gaze drifted around the war room slowly, registering small bits of information flashing on screens and displays as her eyes passed them by. So many worlds were falling or already lost. The Normandy was one of the few glimmers of hope that the many people of the galaxy had anymore. Anderson and Hackett had reminded her of that fact many times. But were they doing enough? Had they uncovered everything that they possibly could? Was there more to this weapon of mass destruction they were attempting to build? How, exactly, would they go about using it?

She sighed and cast her gaze at the ground, pressing her weight almost entirely on her arms because her knees felt as though they were going to buckle at any moment. It was simply too much. Too much for one ship, too much for one crew, too much for one commander to manage.

That moment of utter despair caused her to miss the approach of a friendly face. She’d barely noticed when a small bar, wrapped in familiar packaging crossed her line of sight. Liara offered a snack with a sheepish smile, knowing that the commander had forgotten to eat. Again.

“Thanks,” Shepard quietly said as she accepted the rations.

“It’s a challenge to find you these days and make sure you’re taking care of yourself,” Liara responded. 

“You could always ask EDI,” Shepard commented with a chuckle. She opened the package and took a sizable bite, a disappointed expression coloring her features at the taste of the bar. “Sorry. I have a lot on my mind at the moment. Thanks for reminding me to eat something, though.”

“Of course. Where would we be if we lost you to malnutrition now?” Liara said with the playful grin widening across her lips. She seemed to recognize the commander’s burden, but made the attempt to lighten the mood all the same. There was a reason that she was among Shepard’s most valued friends. “Well, when you’re ready for a break, I’d like to show you something I’ve been working on. I think you’d appreciate it.”

Shepard nodded, then set to work again reviewing progress on the nearest console. She did, at least, take a moment to consume the rest of the lackluster snack, knowing that avoiding food was not going to be in her best interests in the long run.

It was several hours later when she collapsed into the chair at her desk and pounded the button to call to Liara. She was in a better place now, having consumed an actual meal and showered. She was ready for a break from the galaxy collapsing all around them and see what had the asari so entertained, despite the way her limbs ached and the fact that she was longing to crawl into bed to sleep for days.

When Liara arrived, she was holding the time capsule device she’d created. She set it down on the table and took a seat next to Shepard on the couch.

“Uh oh,” the commander commented under her breath as she watched her companion access its hidden information. She received nothing but a knowing smile in response.

“Shepard?” Grunt’s familiar voice caught her attention, and when she looked back at the table, his holographic face illuminated the dim cabin. “She’s a battlemaster. THE battlemaster. She’s got the grit of a krogan. There’s no enemy she wouldn’t face. She’ll be remembered for battle glory.”

The commander nearly squealed with amusement at the krogan’s words. He was young, but he’d learned so much since he’d been released from his tank. She couldn’t have been more proud.

“I think,” came another familiar voice. The masked visage of Tali came to life next, hovering just above the table’s surface. “I think Shepard should be remembered for her resourcefulness. She can make something out of nothing, figure out how to solve problems on the fly, and find a way around any obstacle. She also serves surprisingly good alcohol. I should make her an honorary quarian.”

“When did you manage this?” Shepard asked aloud.

“The party at your apartment, of course. It’s not often that all of these people are in one location, after all,” Liara explained.

“She’s a great shot. Don’t tell her I said that.” Shepard snorted at the commentary of her favorite turian. “Hmm. I think she should be remembered for her loyalty and her often quite brutal honesty. Just like me.”

Shepard shook her head and grinned at the changing holographic images.

“She’s a bitch.” Jack’s commonly cross-armed form came into view. Despite the harshness of the words, there was the tiniest of smiles tugging at one side of her mouth as she spoke. “I guess you’d have to be if you’re going to deal with any of these assholes. She cares, though. I still haven’t figured out why.”

That was the closest thing to a compliment Shepard was ever going to receive from the psychotic biotic, and she loved it dearly.

“They say she’s the best that humanity has to offer. I believe it. Fierce, trustworthy, tough, determined… and sexy.” Shepard slapped a hand to her forehead as the words of one Lieutenant James Vega hung in the air. He remained silent for a moment, then called out to someone who appeared to be just beyond the reach of the camera’s view. “Don’t worry about it, Major. Drink your beer.”

“The Commander? Yeah, she’s a lifesaver.” Shepard couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the ever-sarcastic response of Joker. “She’s the best Alliance soldier in history. Also the worst.” She couldn’t help it. She had to laugh right along with him because the truth in the statement, particularly that latter part, was what made it believable and funny.

“Shepard is a badass and a friend. She’s soft like any other human, but she’ll put you in your place and, for some reason, you’ll thank her for doing it.” Wrex had a grin on his face that Shepard could only attribute to his inebriation at the time of recording. “You should put in a vid of her kicking a thresher maw’s ass right here.”

The holo disappeared shortly thereafter, plunging the room into relative darkness and silence. Shepard still sported a broad smile, clearly entertained by the antics of her friends and crew. “What? My beloved asari doctor has no words of wisdom about me for the benefit of future generations?”

“Don’t worry,” Liara said as she sat forward and tapped new commands into the device. “I’ll add my own commentary and some of Anderson’s, I think, from those recordings in your apartment. These were just the most… ah… colorful responses. I thought you’d enjoy them. Don’t forget that you were the one who said you’d prefer to let your crew describe you and have that be your legacy. This is what you get.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Shepard answered with an absent wave of her hand. Even now, after seeing some of the more inappropriate responses her friends offered as to how she should be remembered, she didn’t regret the decision. She deemed it far more important to have the people who knew her best to create the record, even if it sounded silly. They were honest. “I know.”

“One more for you.”

“Oh?” Shepard chuckled. “The best for last?”

“Something like that,” Liara quietly said as she sat back.

It was Kaidan’s face that flickered to life before her eyes. He was sporting a big, goofy smile and she couldn’t help but mirror his expression as she watched.

“I don’t know if I’m the best person to ask,” he began, looking suddenly bashful. “My opinion is probably a little skewed.”

His expression changed, then, to a very pensive one as he considered how to answer the question. “Shepard is kind and sweet. I guess there aren’t a lot of people who know that. She tears up when she watches romantic vids and she hates paperwork. She’s human. She gives too much of herself for other people, but she doesn’t seem to see it that way. She’s a great leader and a workaholic. She forgets to look out for herself sometimes, because she’s too busy taking care of everyone else. And she means everything to me.”

Kaidan glanced off to the side for a long moment as though listening to commentary from someone off camera before continuing. “Ahh well. What are they going to do, fire me? I gave up caring about those regs a long time ago. I don’t want her to be remembered as some crazy warlord. She’s more than that. She’s a person. She’s beautiful inside and out. Shepard is everything I could ever want in a commanding officer, a friend, or a partner.”

She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks and her heart swelling in her chest. It was the sweetest, most sobering thing she’d ever heard.

The Major looked directly in the camera, pointing his finger at his imaginary audience. “Just know that if you’re watching this, it’s because Shepard sacrificed everything to make sure that you had the opportunity. Remember that, and thank her. She doesn’t hear it enough.”

When the room went dark again, the commander had no idea what to say. She simply stared blankly at the void where Kaidan’s face had been, tears threatening to well up at any moment. She was having trouble processing it all, but somehow it made her heart feel so much lighter. She felt as though she could conquer any enemy, and she quickly realized that that had been the entire point.

“I thought you could use a little encouragement,” Liara said as she placed a hand on Shepard’s arm.

“Thanks, Liara. I uhh…” she began, still fumbling to find words. “You’re probably right.”


End file.
